Machine for printing on label tape



June 9, 1925. 1,541,476

' E. F. BUSINGER MACHINE FOR PRINTING 0N LABEL TAPE Filed July 12, 19222 Sheets-Sheet 1 jun 742 Sun 6 Q [.5742/ 5126 6 w I 3 Lot742 SIze 6 42Size 6' auomdoz E. F. BUSINGER MACHINE FOR PRINTING ON LABEL TAPE FiledJuly 12 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL r. nnsmenn, F nnwYonK, N. ,Y., Assisi-non TO Gr. REIS & 1330., Inc,or new YORK, n. Y., A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR BRINTING ON LABEL TAPE.

Q Application filed luly 12 1922. Serial No. 574,382.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILF. Business,

a citizen of the United States, and resident ofthe city of New York, inthe county and Stateof NewYork, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Printing on Label Tape, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates. to machines for 0 printing on label tape. L

*Heretofore, mach'nes for this purpose have been devised where a feedwheel is provided for feeding the tape ofindividual labels, with asuitable printing head carry- 15 mg aplur'ality of sets of type andco-operating with the feed wheel to print from the type onto the labels,the feed wheel and the printing head being geared together with ordinaryspur gears in such manner that the feedwheel and printing head arecontinuously rotated and the tape continuously.

fed through the machine as the members rotate.

Machines of this kind may be satisfactory f for certainclassesof workWhere relatively large labels are used, where close accuracy isnotrequired, and where the machines are.

operated by skilled mechanics or in a place where skilled mechanics arealways readily available to properly readjust such machines when theyget out of order, and to'inspect them frequently to detect improperadjustments before their inaccuracy in printing on the tape develops tosuch an extent. as to spoil the'work. But there is a large field of usefor these machines in places where 7 they are operated by girls not atall familiar withsuch machines, or by unskilled labor, and where nomechanic is readily available,

40 either to properlyfadjus'tthe co-operating elements of the machine inthe first instance to insure the proper registration of the type withthe individuallabels so as to have the,

printing accurately aligned with the labels,

orto observe the operation of the machines to "see that this adjustmentis maintained,

and to 'readjusfithe machines in the event that they get out 'ofadjustment or when a machine, which necessitates readjustments.

With these machines, where the tapefeedin'g wheel is continuouslyrotated with the printing head, either due to improper meshing of thegears whenthe machine is new, Jor'to gradual wear of the gears, therediifer'ent kinds of labels are run through is-a certain amount of lost'motion between these two members. Thls back lash "or lin proper gearingWlll cause lmproper reg1stration and'smearing the print on the tape, and

furthermore due to the fact'that the gears used are of the ordinarypinion type, it is difficult for an unskilled operator tounderstandfhowto adjust the parts so as to insure proper registration ofthe type with the tape.

n is the object OftlllS invention to even;

intermittent movement such for example as :1. Geneva star wheel and pinfor driving the tape step by step and with a co-operating printing headcarrying a single set of type which will print upon the labels once foreach step by step movement of the tape. Machines built according to thisinvention, forthe reasons stated, have been found to be very reliableand satisfactory in opera'- tion.

The invention consists in the novel features, arrangement andcombination of parts hereinafter described according to the preferredembodiment of the invention, and theinvention will be more particularlypointedout in the appended claims.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appearfrom the fol lowingdescription taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings illustrating by way of example the present preferred embodimentof the invention.

Referring to the drawings- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a hand-operatedmachine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same looking in the direction of thearrow on Fig.

frame member 3, a horizontal extension 4,

and an upper bracket 5.

The roll of tape 6 is carried on a reel 7 suitably mounte d onshaft 8 inanydesired iii-anner as for example by hav ng washers 9-9 frictionallypressing upon the reel by reason of spring 10, to slightly retard therotation of the reel as the tape is pulled upon by the feeding means. Inthe present instance the tape is shown as consisting of a series oflabels not-ched on the sides, as at 10, for feeding purposes, andintended to have the lot number printed thereon by the printing type.The. tape may pass over a suitable roller ll. the spindle 12 of whichisrsecured at one end to an arm 13 firmly secured at the other end to ashaft 14 which has. the following means for yieldingly pressingthe,rolle r against the tape. This, means consists of a coiled spring 15having one.

en d engaiged in a collar-16 secured to shaft 14:;and the other endsecured, to the side 17 Lot a friction guide clamp 17 which is swiv-.

eled on s'aidshaft 14 as shown in Fig. 2, and thenpper member ofwhich'carries a finger 17:". adapted to press upon the tape to hold itdownio-na feed wheel 18. This spring 15 1 acts to ,press. the fingerdown ,upon thewheel,

and tends to hold the rollerll against the nndersurfaceof the tape. Thetape passes from the roller i 1]. through said: friction guide clamp 1?and thence on to. theyfeed wheel 18 having series of properly spacedfeeding pegs 19. adapted to vengage the.

notches .onfthe tape to positively and accurately feed it through themachine.

This feed wheelie mountcd on one end ct .a shaft E-ZO upon whichthe feedWheel is angnlarly adjustably secured, in any suitable manner suchas bya set screw not shown, but. which; is in all-respects similar tootherset screws hereinafter mentioned.

This shaft ex ends through an elongated bossQl ,forinecl on the uprightframe 3,. and at t-he other end of the shaft there is mounted a spideror dish 22 to which ,is secured a Genera star wheel 23. Thespideror diskis secured to.the shaft by a set ,screw 23,

sothat thcspider. is angniarlyuadjustable aboutthe shaft in :thesame-manner that the feed wheel is angnlarly adjustable about the otherend. of the shaft, he star wheel. is

j secured to ,thisspider in any suitable manner as for example by meansof a plurality ;of screws 24 passing.through the star wheel and threadedintothe spide m p The yertic-azl bracket 5 of thefran'ac is providedwith airelong'ated horizontal boss 25' in which is journaled a driveshaft- 26 Flying directly over and parallel with drive shaft;

20. Thisdrive shaft is p-rovidedjat one end directly ever the feed wheelwith a printing head. 27 singularly adjustably mounted on the shaft andadapted to be held in adjusted pesit-ion by. means such as the .setscrew 28. The printing head has a .slot 29 adapted to receive the typeto be printedfrom, andthis t vpe' is. adjusted in theslot meansof a outand putting suitable blanks if necessary behind the first type, the typemay be adjusted longitudinally in the printing head. The collar 31 is inturn adj ustably secured to the shaft as by set screw 32; and. ifdesired it may beinterlocked with the printing head to move around theshaft with the printing head as onepiece.

Qn theop-posite .end of the driveshaft 26 is mounted a disk 33..carrying a pin 34 adapted to coTo-perate with, and drivethe star wheel2-3. This diskinay-be fixedly keyed to the shaft and atthe outer. endvof the diskasuitable crank handle 35 may be mounted to rotate shaft26.-.

At the left-hand end of the machine a suitable spring finger 36isprovided to press;

also carriesan inking;

in a slot A0 in the horizontal .arm .of this.

bracket, so,that the roller is adjustableinv the.. slot. 'Thisbracket 5asa whole isadjustablc about anarc in the vertical frame concentric tothe a-Xis'of. shaftQO. is .accomplishediby means 0f..-a bolt 41 (seeFig. 2) passing through the lower end vof the bracketiaand extendinginto aslot 42 in the formof an arc concentric to the shaft 20, .andthisbolt .41 isclamped in.p0siti0n by a nut 43. In thisway the printinghead,- inking roller and star wheelpin may be. adjusted anguiarlywithzrespect .to the feed. wheel and the star-wheel in the settingiuprof the machine.

Inj theadjustment of the machine it is necessary to so. adjust the.parts that the type in the printing head will. lie against and normal tothetapeion the line of the label:

on vwhich'the type is to be printed, at the time that the drivingpinisat the bottom: ofaslot in, the star wheel, so as to insure theproper synchronous movement of the.

tape; with the printinghead duringthe interyalof the. rotation of theprinting head: that the hrinting is taking place. For ex-;

ample, i f; the labels say are an inch long,.the label tape. wheel mustbe moved oneiinch foreachrotation of thetprinting head, and.thatmovement of one inch for the. tape and. hence thatimovement.0f.;oneinch for the periphery oftheffeed wheel must'be. syn-- chronouswith the rotationvof the printinghead and must be so timed that the typewillengage the labels on the proper line. 1 r

I iVith the apparatusshown it isonly neces.-. sary to line up the slot29 for the type with the starwheelpinfit, and-to then so, adjust thestar wheel. on its spider as to bring the This . against the same normalthereto.

proper part of the label in contact with the type when the type reachesthe tape andlies The use of the single set of type enables the operatorto concentrate his attention on the maintenance of only that one set oftype in proper registration, and the step by step movement providedavoids the difficulties encountered by back lash and the wear of thegear, as is experienced in the continuously rotating printing machines.Not only is the mechanism thus simple to adjust and maintain in properoperation, but due to lack of back lash, etc, smearing of the print onthe tape is avoided and neat clean-cut printing obtained.

While I have described my invention in detail in its present preferredembodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, afterunderstanding my invention, that various changes and modifications maybe made therein without departing from the spirit 1 or scope thereof,and I aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications andkchanges.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine for printing on label tape, the combination of means forengaging the tape to positively feed it, a Geneva stop movementincluding a pin and a star Wheel for driving'the tape-feeding means tomove the tape step by step, a rotary printing head co-operating with thetape and feeding means to print on the tape as it is moved step by step,and means for rotating the printing head synchronously with the pin,said printing head, star wheel and feeding means being relativelyadjustable so that the parts can be so adjusted that the type willengage the tape and lie normal thereto when the pin is at the bottom ofa slot in the star wheel:

2. In a machine for printing on label tape, the combination of a feedwheel for the tape, a driving shaft for the feed wheel, a Geneva stopstar Wheel for driving said shaft and wheel step by step; to feed thetape step by step, a printing headcarrying a single set of type to printupon the tape at each step by step movement, a pin for driving the starwheel, and a drive shaft for rotatingthe pin and printing headsynchronously, said pin and star Wheel and said feed wheel and printinghead being so adjustable that the type will engage the tape and lienormal thereto when the pinis at the bottom of a slot in the star wheel.3. In a machine for printing on label tape, the combination of a feedWheel for the tape having means for engaging the tape to feed itpositively, a drive shaft on Which the wheel is mounted, a Geneva starwheel angularly adjustably mounted on the shaft for driving the shaftand wheel'step by step, a second drive shaft, a pin for the star wheelmounted on said second shaft to be rotated thereby, a printing head onsaid last drive shaft adapted'to be rotated synchronously With the pinand carrying a single setof type co-operating with the feed- Wheel toprint on the tape at each step by step movement. 4:. In a machine forprinting on label tape, the combination of a feed wheel for i the tapehaving means for engaging the tape to feed it positively, a drive shafton which the wheel is mounted, a Geneva star Wheel angularly adjustablymounted on the shaft for driving the same step by step, a second driveshaft parallel With the first, a pin for driving the star wheel mountedon said sec- 7 0nd drive shaft to be rotated thereby, and

a printing head also mounted on said second drive shaft and angularlyadjustable with respect thereto so as to be adjusted with respect tosaid pin.

In testimony whereof I name to this specification.

EMIL F. BUSINGER.

have signed my

